Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
Estimating Cost & Improving Trade-off between Performance and Cost at the Early Design Stages
Saravi, Mohammad; Newnes, Linda; Mileham, Tony; Goh, Yee-Mey
Type:
Year:
2009
Editor:
Norell Bergendahl, M.; Grimheden, M.; Leifer, L.; Skogstad, P.; Lindemann, U.
Author:
Series:
ICED
Section:
Design for X, Design to X
Page(s):
81-92
Abstract:
Typically 70% to 80% of a product's cost is said to have been committed by the end of the conceptual design stage [1]. Because of the importance of the conceptual stage, cost estimation should be carried out as accurately as possible to provide valuable information to product designers. Despite this level of built in costs at the conceptual stage of design, having useful cost estimates at this stage is very difficult, due to the limited availability of data, especially for new products when product specifications are expressed as a range of values. The main aim of the research presented in this paper is to use the Taguchi method of Design of Experiments in order to use the sparse and available conceptual information more effectively to estimate the cost of a product. A review of the literature about cost estimation techniques and the available information at the conceptual stage of design is presented. A case study is also presented and used to illustrate how the Taguchi method of Design of Experiments is applied in order to assist designers at the conceptual design stage to reduce uncertainty of cost estimates and to carry out a more informed trade-off between performance and cost.
Keywords:
